Project Summary Vermont Proposal: READINESS RATING FOR DAIRY DEFENSE The ?Readiness Rating? is intended to be tool for encouraging continuity of farm-to-market operations during an emergency, such as an outbreak of a zoonotic or highly contagious disease (e.g., Foot-and-Mouth Disease). The project will develop and demonstrate this tool, primarily for Incident Command to assess the capacity of each dairy farm to meet elevated biosecurity standards and hence to qualify for a permit to move raw milk to market during an outbreak. In advance of an emergency, a Readiness Rating would also help dairy operations identif y measures that, once implemented, could increase their chances of business continuity as well as recovery and reduce risks of infection in the first place. In this way, the Readiness Rating is intended to be an instrument for improving both food security and food defense. Specific actions for the project include: ? Identify best biosecurity practices for continuity of dairy operations in an animal-disease emergency. ? Model and measure the capacity to implement best feasible biosecurity practices among dairy producers, haulers, and processors. ? Demonstrate and test the utility of this measure ? the Readiness Rating ? in New England. ? Engage in ongoing activities that ensure the integrity of the dairy farm data that is necessary to support the first three actions of this project. Supporters of this project include the state veterinarians and milk regulators in the six New England states, the largest dairy cooperatives, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense (FAZD). The contractor brings to the project more than 25 years of experience in agriculture, academia, and emergency response planning. The Readiness Rating is designed to provide a new, more action-ready and customizable tool for attaining national Secure Milk Supply (SMS) performance standards and defending the milk supply in an emergency. Point of Contact: Dr. Kristin Haas Director of the Division of Food Safety and Consumer Protection and State Veterinarian Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets 116 State Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05620 Email: Kristin.Haas@state.vt.us Project Website: http://nesaasa.weebly.com/ne-sms-project.html